


The Visit

by Chie (Chierafied)



Series: Reader Prompts SK [35]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Meetings, Hospitals, One Shot, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 05:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16825861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chierafied/pseuds/Chie
Summary: Kagome doesn't like hospitals, but when one of her pupils is hospitalised, she resolves to pay him a visit. Thankfully, her pupil's handsome doctor takes the time to put her mind at ease.





	The Visit

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning for brain tumours

Kagome clutched her bag to herself while she rummaged around it, trying to look for the Get Well Soon-card that she’d stuffed inside before leaving work. 

Her fingers were a little shaky; she didn’t like hospitals very much. Not since her father… Well.

Kagome sighed in relief, finally finding the card. She pulled it out of her bag and smoothed it out. Then, she took a big bracing breath and plastered on a cheerful smile.

Kagome held onto that smile like to a shield as she entered the patient room.

One of the four beds in the room was empty. Two had curtains pulled around them.

The one remaining bed in the back of the room hosted the occupant Kagome had come to visit.

He perked up as soon as Kagome started to cross the room.

“Miss Higurashi! You came!”

Despite the bandage wrapped around his head, the drip inserted onto the back of his hand, the sensors and wires that hooked him to the machinery monitoring his vitals, Kohaku beamed.

Kagome’s smile turned genuine and warmth flooded her chest. Children truly were amazing. So resilient, so hopeful, so brave.

“Hello, Kohaku! I promised I’d come to visit you didn’t I?” Kagome stopped at his bedside, took the chair meant for visitors. “Your sister’s not here?”

“She had to go to work,” Kohaku replied. “She’ll come in the evening.”

“Tell her I said hi,” Kagome said. “Everyone in the class misses you. They made you a card today.”

Kagome gave it to him.

“Thanks, Miss Higurashi!” Kohaku fell silent, eagerly reading over his classmates’ names and their well wishes. “Did you bring homework, too?”

Kagome laughed. “Now that’s a question most of my pupils would never ask.”

Kohaku shrugged. “I don’t like homework that much either, but it gets pretty boring here and I don’t want to fall too far behind.”

“Don’t worry about falling behind, for now you need to take care of yourself and get better. I can start bringing you your homework once the doctors feel you’re ready.”

“OK, Miss Higurashi. I’ll get better as soon as I can,” Kohaku promised.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kagome said. Then she reached into her bag again. “I do have something for boredom, though!”

Kagome pulled out three volumes of manga and handed them over.

“Wow! Thanks, Miss Higurashi!”

“You’re welcome. I hope they’ll help to pass the time.”

The door of the room slid open just as Kohaku answer, catching Kagome’s attention. A tall doctor walked in, the hem of his white coat fluttering as he briskly walked over to them.

He grabbed Kohaku’s chart from the foot of his bed and have it a quick once-over.

“How are you feeling, Kohaku?”

“I’m good. A little tired. But it’s okay ‘cause Miss Higurashi came to see me.” Kohaku grinned at both Kagome and the doctor.

The doctor glanced at Kagome, inclined his head. “I’m glad you’re well. Now, I will just do the same checks that we did last night, all right?” he told Kohaku. “

“OK,” Kohaku replied.

Kagome tried not to fidget while the doctor performed the routine check-up. 

The white coat and the professional detachment he exuded put vividly to Kagome’s mind those countless of other doctors she’d once seen coming in and out of her father’s hospital room.

Uneasiness crawled along the bottom of Kagome’s stomach.

It also didn’t help Kagome’s nervousness that this particular doctor happened to be startlingly handsome.

“Everything seems to be in order,” the doctor intoned at last. He slanted another glance at Kagome, before focusing back to Kohaku. “We will have another check-up again tomorrow.”

Kohaku nodded.

After the doctor left, Kagome spent a little more time talking to Kohaku, keeping her tone of voice bright and the topics of conversation light-hearted. 

Soon enough, however, Kohaku was starting to nod off, so Kagome bid her goodbyes, making a promise to come to see him again soon.

Outside of the room, Kagome heaved out a sigh.

Kohaku seemed to have been doing much better than she’d thought, but the visit had still left her shaky.

“Are you all right, Miss Higurashi?”

Kagome started and saw Kohaku’s doctor standing a few yards away.

She blushed. “I’m fine, thank you. Just a little wobbly, I guess.”

“I presume you are Kohaku’s teacher?”

“Yes.” Kagome hesitated for a moment, before asking: “Do you have a moment? I would like to know more of Kohaku’s prognosis, if possible.”

He regarded her silently, then nodded. “Very well. This way, please.”

Kagome followed him and soon found herself sitting in a small private room. It eerily reminded her of the one the doctor had pulled her and her mother into, to tell them the news…

Kagome stamped down that train of thought, ignored the dread curling at the base of her spine and focused instead on the business card that had just been handed to her.

_Takahashi Sesshoumaru_ , the glossy letters read. Apparently, he was a neurosurgeon.

Kagome slipped the card into her bag and met Dr Takahashi’s eyes. “How is Kohaku doing?”

“He is doing very well. The surgery was successful; I managed to remove the tumour entirely and there were no complications. If I’m satisfied with what I see at his check-up tomorrow, I’m ready to recommend Kohaku to be discharged. The final decision though will be made by his paediatrician.”

Kagome’s shoulders slumped a little in relief. “Thank you, I’m so glad to hear everything has gone so well.”

“We are very optimistic,” Dr Takahashi told her evenly, “but of course all this is just the beginning. He will need to see a psychologist and a physiotherapist, and we’re going to start him on the radiation therapy.”

“Radiation therapy?” Kagome repeated, feeling a little numb.

Dr Takahashi steepled his fingers. “It is the standard course of treatment for these type of tumours. Typically, they aren’t malignant in children, but the percentage of regrowth is very high.”

Kagome bit her lip. “How high?”

“Every other tumour of this kind will regrow within the next two years,” he replied.

“So there’s a fifty percent chance,” Kagome said, dismayed.

“We will schedule regular control appointments for MRIs so we can monitor the situation,” Dr Takahashi reassured her. “Of course, because of the radiation therapy, it will be several weeks before Kohaku can come back to school. We don’t want to risk him getting an infection.”

“Of course,” Kagome murmured, then looked up from her hands to meet his eyes. “Thank you, for taking the time to tell me about Kohaku’s condition and for taking such good care of him. Honestly, I was surprised to see you do his check-up yourself instead of leaving it to a nurse.”

The corner of Dr Takahashi’s lips twitched. “I admit I do have more of a personal interest in this particular case,” he replied.

“Oh?” Kagome prompted, curious in spite of herself.

“My daughter, Rin, attends your school and knows Kohaku. She’s been worried about him and asking after him when I come home.”

“Kohaku is well-liked in our school,” Kagome said. “And your daughter must be reassured to know he’s in good hands.”

“Thank you, Miss Higurashi,” Dr Takahashi said. “Your pupils must be fond of you as well if Kohaku is any indication; he seemed much cheered by your visit.”

The compliment made Kagome blush. “I’d like to think so,” she replied. “And I’m glad if my visit has helped Kohaku in any way.”

“It has,” Dr Takahashi told her, a faint smile appearing to his lips. “Whatever their condition, the importance of a support network is always hugely beneficial to the patient. I’m glad Kohaku has such a dedicated teacher.”

Kagome said nothing; she was so flustered now that all the words had promptly fled from her mind.

Dr Takahashi’s smile grew more pronounced. “I’m afraid I need to get back to work now, but if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Thank you,” Kagome managed to stammer at last. She rose from her chair and gave him a quick bow. “I hope I haven’t taken too much of your time.”

“Not at all. It was very nice to meet you, Miss Higurashi,” Dr Takashashi said.

“Likewise,” Kagome said.

She flashed him a bright smile and bid him goodbye – and was half-way to the exit before she realised that her skin wasn’t breaking into its usual gooseflesh from walking down hospital hallways.

By the time she left the hospital, Kagome was smiling and humming under her breath.


End file.
